Cynthia Daniels was inspired by the concept of Downtown Dining Week when she started Memphis Black Restaurant Week in 2016, but she was driven by a passion to give restaurateurs in her community the opportunity to promote their businesses as a group.

She had eight restaurants the first year.

"I wanted to have 200 people come into those restaurants that week," she said.

She exceeded her goal. That first year, 3,135 restaurant tabs were settled and $85,000 was spread among the participants.

"I didn't know there would be so much pride around that week," she said. "People were coming from all over town. We had people drive in from Little Rock."

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February 22, 2018 - The third annual Memphis Black Restaurant Week runs from March 5th until the 11th.(Photo: Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal)

"We added that event last year and it was great," Daniels said. "We realized that many black-owned restaurants are closed on Sunday and we wanted the full week, so Clayborn opened that door for us."

This year, 11 local restaurants are participating and there are eight food trucks for Soulful Food Truck Sunday.

Daniels is a crackerjack organizer, an Atlanta transplant who took to Memphis like a duck to a hotel fountain. She moved here in 2009 with a a background in human resources and started working for a local company.

"Coming from Atlanta, I didn't find a whole lot to do for young professionals, so I started doing a lot of volunteer work," she said. "I ended up volunteering for the Memphis Urban League and felt so at home with people who look like me, talk like me and with similar backgrounds. I was literally a walking campaign. I'd walk up to people in restaurants or in Walmart, wherever, and tell them how they could get involved."

In her volunteer work, she found herself organizing events and realized she loved it and was good at it; now she owns Cynthia Daniels and Co. and does it full time. When Fran Mosley opened HM Dessert Lounge, Daniels helped her promote her business on social media.

"For the first 30 days, we were booming and then nothing," Daniels said. "I started thinking of ways to help her and that's when I got the idea for Memphis Black Restaurant Week.

"Since I'd been in town, I'd gone to all these food festivals. Greek Fest, Italian Fest, Downtown Dining Week, but nothing for minority owned businesses. I said, 'Fran, let's do it,' and we did.'

With 2016 such a success, Daniels branched out to other cities, showing folks her model and encouraging them to use it. In Richmond, Virginia last year, 20 restaurants signed up for the first year and more than $500,000 flowed to the restaurants. Her plan was to branch out to 10 more cities, but "some are more open to it than others." Thanks to Daniels, Birmingham and St. Louis also now have Black Restaurant Week.

The impact on businesses can't be overstated, Mosley said. She and her husband opened HM Dessert Lounge with their own money and it was limited. She "absolutely" credits the first year with keeping her business open.

"We made $15,000 that one week, which was huge for a business like this because we're mostly a bakery," she said.

Customers are asked to complete a survey card and she found out through the feedback what people liked and what they didn't. She was able, with the extra revenue, to buy new chairs and give the restaurant a facelift, plus add her signature chicken and waffles to the menu.

"That the number one thing about Memphis Black Restaurant Week," Mosley said. "It drives a tremendous amount of revenue in that one week, and you can see the residual effect through August. People will come in and say that they didn't want to come during the week, but that they're still working their way through the list."

Last year, she made $27,000 during the week and this year, she plans to double that.

"It's going to be like three months' revenue in a week," she said. "We know that we need to expand, whether with a larger location or a second location, and that money is going to make all the difference.

"The week is kind of like Black Friday for us."

Last year, 14 restaurants participated and $175,000 came through the businesses from 6,210 tickets. While Daniels counts a ticket as a single patron, she's referring to checks paid by diners and as some tickets are for two or more diners, an exact figure of the number of folks is likely more.

The restaurants will offer a two-course lunch for $15 and a three-course dinner for $25; reservation are recommended. Call for hours.

Tickets for Soulful Food Truck Sunday are available at eventbrite.com and are $10. Besides the eight food trucks, there will be live music, shopping booths and other festivities. It's at Clayborn Temple, 249 Hernando. March 11, noon-6 p.m.